Nuclear Fallout: Less Demand For Uranium Roils Miners

NAMIB DESERT, Namibia—Martin Hirsch kicks a loose rock. "Uranium," says the 56-year-old German geologist with a smile, wiping his sweaty forehead under the baking sun. "And watch out for the snakes."

By an accident of geology, this tiny African desert republic of 2.1 million people is one of the world's top five uranium producers. It accounts for about 10% of the global supply of nuclear fuel, trailing Kazakhstan,...